Sykes Cottages research into our visiting habits.
[Extracts from their press release]
The accommodation company Sykes Cottages undertook a poll of 2,000 Brits, conducted by The Leadership Factor on behalf of Sykes Cottages, found that few of us are taking the time to explore the world famous and awe-inspiring places on our own doorstep that people travel from the world over to see.
Headlines:
- 1 in 10 Brits have never visited a National Park
- Over 1 in 5 Brits have visited the Dorset and East Devon Coast
- Tower of London named the most popular UK UNESCO World Heritage Site
Despite being famously known as a green and pleasant land, new research shows just 1% of Brits have visited all 15 of our National Parks and one in ten have never taken the time to explore a National Park at all.
Just 13% of Brits have made the trip to visit Hadrian’s Wall on what was once the frontier of the Roman Empire, while only 11% have made the trip to Northern Ireland and paid a visit to the iconic Giant’s Causeway.
The Tower of London was named as the most visited World Heritage Site, visited by 42% of those polled, followed by the City of Bath (32%) and Stonehenge (31%), while 13% said they had never visited any of the sites. The Jurassic Coast polled 5th at 21%.
Almost half of Brits (46%) have visited the Lake District, making it the most popular National Park on the list, followed by the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales, both with 33%.
The survey was conducted as part of the Sykes Cottages Isle of Inspiration campaign that explores how our our isle has inspired some of the world’s greatest artistic minds to create works including Lord of the Rings, Le Mere and Daffodils.
Tom Lowes, Head of Online Marketing at Sykes Cottages, said: “It’s easy to forget how lucky we are to have so many sites of natural beauty and historical importance on our doorstep. It’s staggering that a huge one in ten Brits have never visited one of our National Parks; whether you’re looking for a country stroll, a good hike or even just to sit quietly in a pub and take in the view, they truly have something for everyone.
“Taking a look at UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites is a great place to start if you want to learn more about Great Britain’s past. There’s so much more to our history than the Tower of London and Stonehenge; from the natural history of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, to the Victorian industrial might of Salt’s Mill in Saltaire.
“Isle of Inspiration was created to showcase the diversity of the beauty of this great island and allow people to take a glimpse from their own home, before heading outdoors and out of the city to experience it for themselves.”
View Sykes Cottages’ Isle of Inspiration at http://www.sykescottages.co.uk/isle-of-inspiration/
% of respondents who have visited UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Tower of London 42%
City of Bath 32%
Stonehenge 31%
Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey 24%
Dorset and East Devon Coast 21%
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh 20%
Maritime Greenwich 20%
The Forth Bridge 18%
Durham Castle and Cathedral 18%
Canterbury Cathedral 17%
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 17%
Ironbridge Gorge 16%
Blenheim Palace 15%
Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City – 15%
Frontiers of the Roman Empire (inc Hadrian’s Wall) 13%
Cornwall and West Devon mining landscape 11%
Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast 11%
Avebury and Associated Sites 11%
Castle and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynned 11%
Saltaire 9%
Studley Royal Park inc Fountains Abbey 8%
Derwent Valley Mills 8%
New Lanark 6%
Blaenavon Industrial Landscape 5%
St Kilda 4%
Pontcysyllte Aquaduct and Canal 3%
Heart of Neolithic Orkney 3%
None of the above 13%